[bonesbr549]

Wow been a year and I'm just now getting my 4th axis ready to go. Been playing my options and kinda stuck on how to proceed. I saw some builds with it showing under the table and going x direction and at 48 across its not going to get me the length I'd like which is 36".

Was wondering if you folks could share pic's of your set ups.

[Blisswoodshop]

Wow been a year and I'm just now getting my 4th axis ready to go. Been playing my options and kinda stuck on how to proceed. I saw some builds with it showing under the table and going x direction and at 48 across its not going to get me the length I'd like which is 36".
Ha
Was wondering if you folks could share pic's of your set ups.

I am in same situation. Glad you started this topic just in time. Have you checked out Digital Fabrication for Designers: CNC Router Rotary Axis ? I got the same rotary setup on aliexpress.
I am hoping to get a t-slot plate and mount the rotary setup on it and cut half an inch or so into my spoil board and place the plate in there and remove it when not in use and fill that space for normal operations. Hoping to find the t-slot plate with the correct spacing as the rotary base mounts.

Just wondering how the homing of the 4th axis is done, manually or can it be setup with sensors?

Thanks and looking forward for suggestions, info and inputs.

Be Bliss.

[KH0UJ]

Basically if you imagine the fourth axis on a CNC is just like you are drawing or machining a rectangular piece, quite simple right? for example if you unfold a cam lobe and make it flat on a rectangle it you will look just like a mountain on a 3D environment, so basically it`s just a simple rectangular 3D design, import it in a CAM software you like or used to then make a G-code, after that import it again on a G code wrapper software then add your desired diameter of the work piece then voila! a nice 4rth axis G-code, same with the thread, if you unfold it in a rectangular 3D environment you will see just a diagonal line that`s how things work done on a 4rth axis machining job. in zeroing situation you simply put the spindle bit on the edge of the circular work piece, doesnt realy matter because you can program it in the center, left or right, it depends on where you zero (home) the XYZ in the CAM software. just a rectangle pure and simple

[asuratman]

How do you set up in mach3 if using rack and pinion ? In rack pinion, the 3 axis got 4 motor : X,Y,Z and A. If you add 4th axis, then there are 5 motors. How you assign and set up in mach3 ?

[daniellyall]

change the Y axis slave to B

[asuratman]

You mean : X, Y, Z, A is rotary axis, B is slaved to Y

[KH0UJ]

How do you set up in mach3 if using rack and pinion ? In rack pinion, the 3 axis got 4 motor : X,Y,Z and A. If you add 4th axis, then there are 5 motors. How you assign and set up in mach3 ?

You can connect on a spare unused port on your board and enable B or C axis, that`s if your control board had 5 or 6 Axis, mine only got 4 Axis port, im still on the learning curve using or coding the 5 or 6th axis but right now im still on a 4 axis set-up and yes I can manually code the 5 or 6 axis job using only a 4 axis machine

[bonesbr549]

anybody got pics of their setup ?

[landarts]

Here is a picture of my setup - I did it this way so that I did not take away from the upper table surface. It has worked very well for my purposes. Here is a LINK to my build thread. http://www.cnczone.com/forums/cnc-ro...-software.html
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